The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka, Anambra State, has found a 35-year-old woman guilty. Four adolescent girls were pushed into prostitution by her as well as trafficked.
Success James, a convict, promised the teenagers that she would get them jobs, but instead, she took them to a beer parlor in Delta State where she had them work as prostitutes.
According to Prime 9ja Online, Ify Obinabo, the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, rescued 13 to 15-year-olds in December.
Mrs. Obinabo, the commissioner, then brought Mrs. James to court where eight counts were brought against her.
In a statement made public on Wednesday, Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, the commissioner's media assistant, announced the news.
In her ruling, Magistrate Genevieve Osakwe ruled James guilty on seven out of the eight charges, according to Ikeanyionwu.
According to the statement, the court sentenced the defendant to five years in jail after finding her guilty of count one.
She was sentenced to five years in jail on count two and two years on count three.
The defendant received additional sentences of four years for count 4, two years for count 5, two more years for count 7, and one year for count 8.
The charges' specifics were kept private.
“The chief magistrate, however, declared that all the sentences would run concurrently, without any option of fine,” Ikeanyionwu said.
In her reaction to the verdict, the commissioner, Obinabo, expressed her satisfaction with the speed with which the offender was tried.
She said that she was pleased that some of the teenage girls had started going to school while others had started learning skills at a state-run centre in Awka, the state capital, where they could learn skills of their choice.
The commissioner made it clear that the government of Anambra State would not tolerate sexual exploitation and prostitution.
She promised to do her best to ensure that women and children whose rights are broken in this way get justice.